…and now she is calling the shots

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“The Girl Effect: The Clock is Ticking” video maps out the different paths a girl takes upon turning the age of 12, highlighting the positive ripple effect a healthy, empowered girl can have upon her community and future generations. This is at the heart of the girl effect—the unique potential of 600 million adolescent girls to end poverty for themselves and the world.

“The Girl Effect: The Clock is Ticking” reveals what a girl needs to stay on a healthy path and conversely what happens if we don’t invest, but most of all stresses the sense of urgency—it is time to act, no excuses.

Girls arrive at the age of 12 relatively healthy—a girl arrives at the age of 12 relatively healthy before entering the transitional phase of adolescence that sets the course of her adult life. For many, that path leads to irreversible consequences. That’s why the video is called “the clock is ticking.” The challenge is to ensure she is reached in time and receives schooling, healthcare and the skills to ensure she can earn herself and her family a decent livelihood.

Maria Eitel, founding CEO and President of the Nike Foundation said: “An adolescent girl is the only person in the world who has the unique ability to stop poverty before it starts. She will bear every child born into poverty and determine the trajectory of that child’s life. She is the smartest investment we can make, yet the world is not investing in her. It’s up to us to provide her the opportunity to reach her potential and to drive peace, security, stability and economic growth.”

“The Girl Effect: The Clock is Ticking” was introduced by Katie Couric, news anchor for CBS Evening News, in New York today, Tuesday 21 September at 13.30 EST/18.30GMT during the Girls and Women plenary session of Clinton Global Initiative, showing policy makers from all over the world just how powerful a 12-year old can be.

In 2008, the first Girl Effect video explained why adolescent girls are the most important force in breaking intergenerational cycles of poverty. The video has become internationally recognised for its radical proposition that girls can help bring an end to poverty and poor health in developing countries. The Clock is Ticking moves the conversation forward on how to invest in girls.

The video unveil coincides with a new Girl Effect website—www.girleffect.org—that makes it easier for users to access the tools necessary to launch their own campaigns and share their intentions with friends. The revamp allows visitors to instantly become a part of the Girl Effect by sharing the video, donating money or starting a social-media campaign.